UAE Free Zones
Ramapati Singhania specializes in creating and managing web businesses. His latest website http://www.rakcompany.net/uae-free-zones focuses on helping you to incorporate free zone companies in the UAE.
UAE Free Zones are well equipped with all the amenities, facilities and communication infrastructure required to set up a business.
Establishing a business entity in one of the numerous UAE Free Zones can be an attractive option for foreign investors and foreign trade. All seven Emirates already have, or are developing, such economic zones.
There are over 20,000 companies in 21 Free Zones around the UAE.
The largest Free Zones, by number of companies, are the following:
* Jebel Ali Free Zone (6,000 companies)
* Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (3,900 companies)
* Dubai Airport Free Zone (1,300 companies)
* Dubai Media City (1,200 companies)
* Dubai Internet City (1,000 companies)
The procedures for establishing a business in a Free Trade Zone are usually very straightforward and can be completed in a short space of time, especially if there are no environmental issues involved.
Individual Free Zones may have specific requirements, but general steps are:
* Questionnaire from the relevant authority which will assist in assessing company requirements
* License application
* Planning documents
* Consumer request for electricity
* Provisional approval and lease agreement
* Meetings with the authority to finalize details of the project
With the number of zones increasing, their impact on the UAE economy has deepened. The Jebel Ali being the first free zone in the country has created the benchmark for regulations and incentives.
Its rapid growth has also provided a powerful economic inspiration to the other emirates, which have set up their zones to attract investment.
Once a legal presence has been established in the zone, the business will need to lease premises or land and acquire an operating license from the FZA.
Different types of licenses apply in the different types of free zone, however, in general companies with trade and industrial licenses can only conduct business within the zone or abroad.
To sell their products in the UAE, a UAE official agent is required. Services and products can be obtained from and within the country without an agent.
Other types of license available are service licenses (e.g. banking, insurance, air shipment etc) and national industrial licenses.
For the former the services offered must be the same as those stipulated in the parent company license in the UAE or abroad. The share capital of a company applying for a national industrial license must be at least 51 per cent GCC and 40 per cent of the sale value of the product must be value added.
UAE free zones offers:
* Offshore centre in Rakia
* Company formation in DIFC
* DMCC, DSC, DOZ
* Company formation in Dubai Technology & Research Park
* General Trading in Dubai
* Dubai Studio City
* Company Formation in building material zone
* Nominee shareholder services required in Dubai
* Rakia offshore
* Registered Agents with Rak offshore
* Dubai Design Center
* Dubai Energy City
* AbuDhabi Ports City
* International Humanitarian City
* Dubai International Academic City
* Special Purpose Company at DIFC
* Tecom Business Park
* Rak Media City
The main UAE Free Zones are the following:
* United Arab Emirates
* Jebel Ali
* Dubai Internet City
* Dubai Media City
* Knowledge Village
* Dubai Airport
* Hamriyah
* Sharjah Airport International
* Ras Al Khaimah
* Abu Dhabi Airport
* Ajman
* Fujairah
* Dubai logistics
Among these zones we incorporate is the Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone Company.
Most of the services reviewed by this website are available or may be accessed from Australia (see 